


Dragon Age 2: Captive Hearts

by Kiwikink



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Bondage, Damsels in Distress, F/F, Kirkwall (Dragon Age), Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26299990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiwikink/pseuds/Kiwikink
Summary: Raewyn Hawke agrees to help Aveline Vallen take down some evildoers, but will her unrequited romantic feels get in the way?
Relationships: Female Hawke/Aveline Vallen
Kudos: 9





	Dragon Age 2: Captive Hearts

It was a typical day in the Lowtown district of Kirkwall as Raewyn Hawke made her way down the dusty streets towards the Hanged Man Tavern, deftly navigating the bustle of merchants, beggars and cutpurses that called the district home. Though she now lived in the more affluent Hightown, Raewyn had always had a certain affinity for Lowtown, which had been her home when she and her mother and sister had first arrived in Kirkwall as refugees. It had been a hard slog to rise up in reputation and reclaim her family's old estate, and she did not regret it for a moment, but in many ways she missed Lowtown, where adventure was around every corner. You had to be as quick with your wits as well as your blade in Lowtown, and Raewyn certainly embodied both those attributes.

Though only being hair older than a score in years, Raewyn had lived a full, adventurous life. She was a slender woman but of a wiry build, fast and agile, and was an expert in wielding the two daggers that crisscrossed her back. Though pretty, Raewyn did nothing to accentuate the fact, wearing no make up and keeping her dark hair shorn to the scalp, a leftover from her days serving in the Fereldan army as a scout. She was dressed in tan hard leather jerkin with a thick standing collar over a black puffy sleeved tunic, dark maroon breaches and matching leather gauntlets and boots. Though the ensemble was designed for practicality, it still hugged her form tightly and showed her supple body, as Raewyn was anything but a prude.

Raewyn arrived at the Hanged Man tavern and entered the establishment, inhaling the aroma of sweat and alcohol that greeted her. The tavern was bustling as always, filled with scoundrels and reprobates and mercenaries looking to drink away their hard earned coin. There was always something happening in the Hanged Man, and Raewyn frequented it often if not for a good time at least to hear what was happening around the city. The head waitress, Norah, winked at Raewyn as she moved deftly through to rabble balancing a tray of mugs in one hand, and Raewyn smiled back. She also spied the Ravaini pirate queen, the exotic and always amorous Isabella, sitting at the bar and flirting with whomever still had all their teeth. Raewyn and Isabella were good friends, and sometimes more, but it was the dark beauty she had come to the Hanged Man to see.

Sitting in the fair corner away from the riffraff sat Aveline Vallen, doing her best to blend in and failing miserably. A former soldier, Aveline had come to Kirkwall with Raewyn after her husband had been killed during the troubles in Ferelden, and had become a member of the city guard to pay her way. She was a forthright and headstrong woman, loyal to a fault, though she was always more comfortable barking orders than socialising, evidenced by her stiffness as she tried to look inconspicuous. And while sharp eyed when it came to criminals and suspicious behaviour, Aveline was often oblivious to more personal interactions, which probably explained why she had totally failed to notice that Raewyn was in love with her.

Raewyn sighed as she took the time to admire Aveline. She was a tall and muscularly built woman, handsome and freckled, with her shoulder length red hair tied back in a practical bun. She wore a banded low cut banded leather surcoat over a sleeveless tunic, tan pants and sturdy leather high boots. Thick leather braids encircled each bicep and another encircled her forehead, a fashion leftover from her time in Ferelden. She was cradling a mug of ale when she noticed Raewyn approach, and sat up straight as her friend joined her.

"I'm glad you came," Aveline said with a broad smile. She had sent Raewyn a cryptic note the previous night, requesting her aid in a mystery endeavour. The guardswoman tone made it clear that she had no doubt feared that Raewyn might have ignored her summons, but even without her secret feelings, Raewyn never turned down a request from a friend.

"You know I'd do anything for you," Raewyn replied slyly, watching to see if the guardswoman would get her hidden meaning. 

"You are a good friend, Hawke," Aveline said, showing no hint of awareness. "I feel awful asking you to help me, but I have discovered that one of my fellow guardswoman is corrupt and is aiding slavers in smuggling their captives out the city."

Raewyn grimaced, as she had a particular loathing for slavers, who were the worst of the worst in the criminal underground, and she knew Aveline held identical views. "I can understand your concern," Raewyn said, nodding. "But is this not something you should report to your superiors?"

"I would if I had proof," Aveline replied bitterly. "The guardswoman, Jacqueline, has served Kirkwall longer than I and is well liked, and she has taken great pains to hide her criminal activities. If it was not for some of the slavers being loose with their talk, I never would have suspected her myself. I need something definitive if I am going to expose her."

"Which is where I come in, I gather?" Raewyn said with a cheeky grin.

"I have learned that Jacqueline and the slavers have a meeting on the docks tonight, no doubt to ferry out more captives. If you and I can catch them in the act, we could free the slaves and I would have all the proof I would need to arrest Jacqueline." Aveline reached across the table and cupped her hands over Raewyn's. "I need your help, Hawke. It will take skill and guile to pull this off, and you are the only woman I can truly trust." 

Raewyn let out a small sigh, then smiled at her friend. "How could I say no to such a request? Count me in."

"Thank you, Hawke," Aveline said with an appreciative smile. "I will meet you at the docks at sundown. You are truly a good friend."

"More than you know," Raewyn said softly.

Aveline bid her good-bye and then may her exit out of the tavern, leaving Raewyn all alone. It depressed Raewyn that Aveline seemed incapable of picking up her hints, that she was so ignorant to Raewyn's desire, but Raewyn had to admit she lacked the courage to come out and say what she truly felt for the noble guardswoman.

"I don't know what you see in her," a sultry voice said behind her, and Raewyn turned to see Isabella saunter over. The pirate queen was voluptuous and beautiful, with long black hair tied up in a blue silk scarf and gold hoop ring in each ear. She was dressed in a sleeveless, low cut blouse and matching skirt, thigh high boots and a thick blue sash was tied around her waist. She smiled seductively at Raewyn, turning around one of the chairs at the table and straddling it, and leaned in close to the other woman. "Kirkwall is filled with fine, open-minded women, not to mention yours truly. Yet you insist on wasting your time chasing around Captain Flamehead."

"Don't call her that," Raewyn said glumly. "Aveline is … special. We've been through a lot together, and I care for her deeply, so I don't appreciate you insulting her whenever you get the chance."

"And who is it who has to pick you up whenever she misses your latest attempt to win her affections?" Isabella asked pointedly. She placed a friendly hand on Raewyn's shoulder. "As much as I tease her, I actually like Aveline. She is a strong and dependable woman, honourable and courageous. But she is not into other women, you can trust me on this. You need to let Aveline go and focus on those who are available. To not put too finer point on it, I will not be content to be a consolation prize forever."

"That's why I am going to tell her," Raewyn said, resolving herself to finally break the impasse. "Tonight."

"I'm sure you will," Isabella said with a lopsided grin. "Best of luck, then. You know where to find me afterwards."

With that, Isabella stood up and headed back to the bar, where a lustful group of admirers awaited. Raewyn watched as she went, already second guessing herself over her decision. She knew Isabella had a point, and that if she professed her love tonight Aveline might reject her forever, but she needed to at least try. Standing up from the table, Raewyn knew tonight it was now or never. Her resolve set, she left the Hanged Man and set about busying herself for the night ahead. 

* * *

The streets were cloaked in heavy shadows as Raewyn made her way down to the Lowtown docks to meet with Aveline, the air thick with aroma of the saltwater and stale sweat, her grey eyes scanning the streets for trouble. The docks were a location that could be perilous at the best of times, with many a band of smugglers and pirates calling it home, and even the city's guards were hesitant to patrol the area once the sun went down. All of this and easy boat access made it the perfect location for those with nefarious plans, which was why it came as no surprise that slavers had decided to move in there.

Aveline was waiting in the shadows as Raewyn approached, looking impatient as she always did before a mission. She had a sturdy longsword sheathed on her back, and was still dressed in her off duty clothing, which were more conducive to stealth than the plate armour the red haired guardswoman usually wore when on patrol. She smiled gratefully at Raewyn as the other woman approached.

"Greetings, Hawke," Aveline said, obviously eager to be underway. "Are you ready for this?"

"Have you ever known me to be otherwise?" Raewyn said with a grin. Like Aveline, she too was eager to get underway, though for completely different reasons. She knew she would have to bide her time until they had completed their task, but it did not stop the anticipation burning within her. "Lead the way, my fearless guardswoman."

Aveline shook her head ruefully and then headed down the cobbled streets towards the dock's warehouse district, Raewyn following closely behind. The district consisted of several large storage buildings, most of which had fallen into disuse over the years as the fortunes ebbed and waned, and as such had become the perfect location for criminals needing bases to operate out of. Crates and barrels littered the grounds outside, most empty and forgotten by their original owners, which gave Raewyn and Aveline the perfect vantage point to spy from and not be seen. Aveline quietly explained that she did not know which warehouse the slavers were operating out of, but they would be able to follow Jacqueline to it once the corrupt guardswoman arrived. All they had to do was to wait for her to show.

It did not take long. No sooner than they had gotten comfortable that Jacqueline appeared, sulking down the path as she glanced suspiciously about her. She was a short, sturdy woman with dark curly hair, clad in worn plate armour bearing the symbol of the city guard and carrying a dangerous looking warhammer in her gauntleted hands. Convinced there was nobody else about, Jacqueline looked behind her and waved her hand in the air, and was soon joined by a band of four other women dressed in dark studded leathers and hooded cloaks, no doubt members of the slavers Jacqueline had fallen in with. 

They brought with them three elven women, their lithe bodies clothed in simple dresses and cloth shoes. Each of the elves had their hands manacled before them and had wide leather straps bound around their mouths to keep them quiet. Their eyes were wide with terror, no doubt having been recently abducted from their homes in the nearby Lowtown alienage. The poor, dispossessed elves were always an easy target for the criminal underworld, and now it seemed they were to fall victim to slavery as well.

From her hiding place, Raewyn felt her body go tense with righteous anger at what was playing out before her. That these elves could be treated in such a way filled her with rage, and that it was instigated by someone who had sworn to protect them was just despicable. But as Raewyn's hands instinctively reach for the daggers on her back, Aveline reached out and placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"We need to wait," Aveline whispered, and Raewyn could see in her eyes that she was barely holding back her own anger. "But they may have more captives in their warehouse, and if we attack too soon, the rest of the slavers may get away and simply begin again somewhere else."

Raewyn bit her lip, knowing that Aveline was right. Just another reason to love her, Raewyn thought to herself as she forced herself to calm down. She and Aveline watched as the slavers lead the elves to a warehouse on the far end of the docks. Jacqueline approached the door and knocked once, then twice rapidly, then once more. The door opened and the slavers quickly entered with their captives, safely out of sight of prying eyes. Once the slavers were inside, Raewyn and Aveline moved from their position behind the crates and quietly approached the warehouse. 

"So, how do you wish to approach this?" Raewyn asked. "Go through the front door or see if we can find another way in?"

"I always favour the direct approach," Aveline said, smiling slyly. 

Raewyn nodded and took up position next to the front door and drew one of her daggers while Aveline knocked out the code on the front door. A moment later, the door opened by a rough looking woman in worn leathers, but before she could react, Raewyn quickly clamped her hand over the slaver's mouth and placed her dagger to their throat. While Raewyn held the woman, Aveline rushed into the building, ready to take one any other slavers that may have been inside. The door led to a small antechamber that was empty, with two more closed doors leading to the main warehouse proper. Aveline listened carefully at each door, then signalled for Raewyn to join her. 

"It's quiet," Aveline said softly. "Luck just might be with us tonight. Get her tied up and then we can go deal with the others."

"As you wish," Raewyn said with a smile. She had the woman lay face down on the ground and used strong cord to lash her hands together behind her back. Raewyn then bound her ankles and bend her prisoner's leg back so she could bind a connecting rope between the ankle and leg restraints to effective hogtie the woman. Lastly, Raewyn bound a thick cloth in the woman's mouth, ensuring her silence. "That should keep her occupied," Raewyn said. "And you said Isabella could not teach me anything useful."

Aveline just shook her head and mutter, "I do not want to know…"

Stashing the bound woman in a corner, Raewyn and Aveline moved to the first door. Raewyn slowing turned the knob and opened the door a crack, peering through to the room on the other side. Beyond the door was the warehouse proper, and it was filled with crates stencilled with legitimate marking to give the illusion of an honest venture. But beyond the crates were three large wooden cages, holding up to five bound and gagged women each, with the numbers made up of a mixture of humans, elves and at least one dwarf. Like the trio Raewyn and Aveline had spied earlier, they were all manacled with thick chains and gagged with wide leather straps, their plaintive mews falling on the deaf ears of their evil captors. 

Raewyn counted ten slavers guarding the captives, though they were hardly standing to attention. Dressed in identical studded leather armour and dark hoods, the slavers milled around the area and chatted amiably amongst themselves, boasting about the riches they would make from their latest acquisitions. They were armed with crude clubs and wooden shields, though most had laid down their weapons as their captives presented no threats to them whatsoever.

At the rear of the warehouse, Guardswoman Jacqueline stood talking with the leader of the slavers. Much to Raewyn's surprise, the leader was a qunari woman, and like all of her race she was tall and muscular, with pale grey skin and thick horns sweeping back from her temples and long white hair that she had tied back in an elaborate braid. She was dressed in a thick black leather vest, hide pants and matching studded gauntlet and boots. She carried a two-pronged spear, and looked down upon the much shorter Jacqueline with barely disguised contempt. 

As the two spoke, negotiating pricing for the captives, the quanri woman looked up and stared directly at the door that Raewyn was peering out of. Raewyn quickly ducked back, but unsure if she had been seen or not. Raewyn held her hand up to signal Aveline to be ready, and the red haired guardswoman acknowledged her by drawing her longsword. Raewyn returned to the crack in the door, and was in time to see the qunari woman ram into her.

The impact send Raewyn flying backwards as the door splintered under the force of the qunari's blow, shards of wood flying in all directions. Raewyn tried to leap back to her feet, but was caught by the throat by the quanari, who then pinned her against the wall. At the same time, the second door to the room swung open and Jacqueline rushed in with several slavers bringing up the rear. Aveline turned to meet them, her longsword slashing at her opponents, but she was hopelessly outnumbered and had no room to manoeuvre. A heavy blow from Jacqueline's warhammer knocked the sword from Aveline's hands, and soon she was swarmed by the slavers.

"It seems we have some intruders," the qunari woman hissed, bring her face close to her struggling captive. Raewyn could not believe the strength of the woman, who towered over her by at least a foot. 

"This one is a member of the guards, Issala" Jacqueline said, glaring at Aveline as she strained against the slavers who held her. "And the one you hold is an adventurer of some note."

"I'll give you one chance to surrender now," Raewyn managed to gasp from beneath the qunari's grip.

Issala grinned evilly. "I like you," she said, and then threw Raewyn to the ground. Before she could get back up, she was grabbed by more slavers, who hooked her arms behind her back and clamped a hand over her mouth. The qunari woman looked over her two captives and commanded, "Restrain them."

"You will pay for this, traitor," Aveline snarled at Jacqueline as the slavers expectly lashed her and Raewyn's hands behind their backs with sturdy rope. "How can you betray the people you are sworn to protect?"

Instead of answering, Jacqueline instead wadded a ball of cloth deep into Aveline's mouth, silencing her, and then bound the cloth in place with an old scarf. The red hair guardswoman grunted with indignation, her muscles straining against the rope that bound her. 

"I warned you," Raewyn said with forced bravado before her own mouth was stuffed and her lips covered with another scarf. 

"Lock them in one of the store rooms until I decide their fate," Issala ordered.

"What about this one?" one of the slavers said, pointing at their bound and gagged companion.

Issala looked at the bound woman with contempt. "She has failed me," the qunari said sternly. "Put her with the slaves. Perhaps that way she can provide me with something of value. Take them away!"

* * *

It had been at least an hour since Raewyn and Aveline had been dumped in the small storeroom, which was cramped and empty save for some discarded linen and a couple of scrawny rats. They were both still gagged and bound, and once inside their feet had also been lashed together, restricting them further. Issala had posted a guard outside the door, but so far neither she nor Jacqueline had come to inspect the prisoners. From the sounds filtering in from the warehouse, it seemed that the slavers were preparing to move their prisoners, though whether Raewyn and Aveline would be taken along with them had yet to be revealed. 

Aveline had spent most of her captivity struggling with her bonds, twisting her body and rolling around what little floor space the storeroom provided in an effort to free herself. It was hopeless, as the slavers had known what they were doing when they had tied up the pair, but at least it gave Aveline something to do other than grumble behind her gag.

On the other hand, Raewyn had been patiently working at her bonds, relaxing herself as she slowly but surely worked her way free. She had only been half joking when she had said Isabella had been teaching her. The truth was, she had spent many nights being tied up by the Rivaini pirate queen, who had been teaching her on the finer points on how to escape. Apparently, Isabella had been tied up many times over the years, though only a handful of those times involved her actually being held captive.

Though the ropes had been bound too tightly for her to work her hand out, she had instead been working to loosen her gauntlet, which provided her a certain amount of freedom of the wrist despite her restraints. She had managed to work enough slack that she should be able to slip her hand out of her gauntlet. It was a tight squeeze, but she had worked her hand most of the way out, and was convinced that only one more strong tug and she would be free.

But before she could do so, the door to storeroom opened, and one of the slavers walked inside. She was a homely woman with a heavily scarred face, and gloated over the two captives with a gleeful smirk. "Times almost up for you," she said. "Once Issala and that guardswoman bitch return from loading the merchandise on to our ship, you two are going to be into a world of hurt."

Aveline glared hatefully at the woman, and kicked out with her bound feet. The slaver laughed and stepped out of the way, but in doing so brought her into range of Raewyn, who swept her legs out and tripped the woman to the ground. Raewyn then pulled her hand from her gauntlet and slammed her newly freed fist into the woman's jaw, knocking her cold. 

Moving quickly, Raewyn untied her feet and dragged the slaver further into the storeroom. She looked out the door to ensure no other slavers were nearby, then closed it over. Raewyn then pulled the scarf down away from her lips, pulling out the moist cloth held within her mouth and stuffing it firmly between the teeth of the unconscious woman. She then used her ropes to bind the slaver tightly, all the while being watched by a frustrated Aveline.

"Be patient, I get to you in a moment," Raewyn whispered, making sure the slaver was properly restrained. It would not do if she regained her senses and warned the others of their impending escape. Once done, Raewyn turned to where Aveline sat, mumbling urgently from behind her gag. She began to until the guardswoman's feet, but hesitated.

"Aveline," she said softly, "I need to tell you something. I know this is probably not the best time, but I may not get another chance."

Aveline rolled her eyes and angrily grunted at her.

"We've know each other for some time now," Raewyn continued, letting her true feelings flow to the surface. "And you know I've always admired you. From our time in Ferelden to making our way to Kirkwall, we've always been by each other's side. And in that time I have come to depend on you, and I've come to want you."

Aveline furrowed her brow, unsure where this old conversation was going.

"Aveline," Raewyn said, taking a deep breath. "I love you."

With that, Raewyn pulled down Aveline's gag and kissed her passionately on the lips. The red haired guardswoman let out a surprised mew, but was helpless to stop the kiss. Raewyn then stepped back, awaiting her companion's reply.

"Are you mad?" Aveline hissed. "You choose now to profess your love for me?"

"It's taken me over a year to work up the courage," Raewyn protested. "I've been dropping hints for ages, and you keep blundering past them with blissful ignorance. I had to tell you how I really felt, and in no uncertain terms."

"While I was bound and gagged?" Aveline asked incredulously. "Look, finish untying me. We need to free those slaves and stop Issala and Jacqueline before they escape. We'll discuss your love later. Much, much later."

Raewyn nodded glumly, and released Aveline of her restraints. While Aveline got to her feet and stretched her limbs, Raewyn rechecked the door, and not seeing any slavers in immediate view, slipped out into the warehouse and couched down behind one of the many crates. From her vantage point, she could now see the whole warehouse, and counted three remaining slavers who were playing cards in the far corner. Of the cages, two were empty, while the third still held it's quintet of frightened captives. Raewyn beckoned Aveline to join her.

"So, fools rush in?" Raewyn asked, trying not to feel awkward.

"Well, we do not seem to have much choice," Aveline said briskly, no doubt feeling as uncomfortable as Raewyn did. At least they now had their common enemy to distract them, which thankfully gave them something to focus on rather than Raewyn's ill-timed confession. "I'll take the two on the left."

"Lead the way," Raewyn said.

With that, Aveline charged from their hiding place and sprinted across the warehouse. The slavers were so surprised by her sudden appearance that they barely had time to reach for their weapons as Aveline collided with them, sending all three sprawling. Raewyn followed close behind, leaping upon the right-most slaver before she had a chance to recover. Raewyn laid punch after punch to the slaver's face, until the fight was completely gone from the woman. At the same time, Aveline hammered away at the other two, felling them with solid kicks and a well-placed head-butt. 

As Aveline collected the beaten slavers' weapons, Raewyn moved over to the cage and unlocked the door. Using a set of keys she found on one of the slavers, she was able to release the manacles from the captive women, who were grateful to be saved from their fate.

"Oh thank you!" one of them, a petite elven woman with curly blonde hair, gushed at Raewyn. "We would be surely bound for Maker knows where if you had not rescued us."

"Leave this place," Raewyn advised them. "Go tell the guard what is going on, and warn them that guardswoman Jacqueline is working for the slavers. We will try and rescue the others before the slavers get away."

The elven woman nodded, and then led the others towards the exit of the warehouse. Raewyn turned to Aveline, who had quickly bound the unconscious slavers. The red haired guardswoman then tossed Raewyn a pair of daggers taken from the guards. Raewyn gave them a quick twirl each to test the weight, then sheathed them on her back. Aveline herself had armed herself with a sword and shield, ready to chase down the other slavers.

"Are you ready to finish these slavers?" Aveline asked.

"Let's go catch us a qunari," Raewyn replied with a wicked smile, and the two quickly made their way out of the warehouse and down towards the peer, where the slaver's ship awaited. 

The slavers were still escorting their captives into the ships hold when the pair arrived on the scene, with the qunari Issala barking orders from the deck. Jacqueline was waiting on the peer, no doubt to watch out for trouble, and her eyes widened with shock when she saw Raewyn and Aveline running towards her. 

"Jacqueline's mine!" Aveline snarled as she headed for the traitorous guardswoman.

Raewyn did not have time to argue, letting her friend go as she herself made a beeline towards the ship. The six remaining slavers turned to face the oncoming women, and were immediately set up by their captives who, sensing a chance to escape, began hitting the slavers with the very manacles that bound them. Though the slavers were better armed than the captive women, they had the numbers and the desire to be free on their side, the slavers found themselves quickly being overwhelmed.

"I told you that you should have surrendered," Raewyn called to Issala, who bellowed with rage. With one swift movement, the qunari left from the ship and onto the deck, her two-pronged spear held at the ready. She charged at Raewyn, trying to impaling the smaller woman with her weapon, by the quicker Raewyn merely stepped out of the way, and began dancing around Issala with her daggers at the ready. Raewyn knew could not match the qunari's strength, so instead used her agility to wear Issala down. 

Nearby, Aveline and Jacqueline struck at each other, their weapons crossing many times as the battled for dominance. Jacqueline swung wide with her warhammer, allowing Aveline to step in to her guard and then, using her shield as a weapon, swatted the corrupt guardswoman to the ground. Jacqueline snarled as she tried to get up, but Aveline planted her boot on her chest and kicked away her weapon. 

"Yield," she commanded, her sword point at Jacqueline's throat. 

"Yes, yes!" Jacqueline cried, knowing she was beaten.

Meanwhile, Raewyn continued to duck and weave around Issala's attacks. The qunari woman was now showing signs of exhaustion, and her strikes were showing less power behind them. Raewyn readied herself, and when Issala next thrust her spear out at her, she quickly stepped out of the way and brought both her daggers down on the haft of the spear, snapping it in two. 

Issala quickly tossed aside her now useless weapon, and then wrapped her arms around Raewyn's waist and lifted her off of her feet. Issala began to tighten her grip, hopping to squeeze the life out of her foe, but Raewyn had other plans. She slammed the pommels of both daggers into Issala's temples, once, twice, then three times. The qunari let go, staggered by the blows. Raewyn then spun into a crouch and swept out her leg, knocking Issala's feet out from beneath her. The impact knocked the wind from the qunari, and Raewyn quickly straddled her, placing both daggers across her throat.

"You are beaten," she grinned. "And by the way, I told you so."

Defeated, Issala just let out a low moan.

By the time the guards arrived on the scene, Raewyn and Aveline had tied up all the slavers and locked them in their own ship's hold. Issala and Jacqueline were chained to the mast, their mouths gagged with the same leather straps that had been previously used to silence their captives. The captive women had been freed and had returned to their homes, hopefully feeling much safer now that the slavers were defeated. And during the time that they had waited for the guards, Raewyn and Aveline had pointedly not spoken to each, especially about Raewyn's confession.

Both women were thorough commended for their actions by the captain of the guard, who promised a promotion for Aveline due to her diligent service and initiative. Soon the guards had hauled off their prisoners, leaving Raewyn and Aveline alone. An awkward silent followed and Raewyn struggled to find a way to start the conversation, but before she could, Aveline raised her hand.

"It's all too much," Aveline sighed, staring at her feet. "I understand why you said what you said and why you said it when you did. But with everything that has happened tonight, I just cannot deal with it right now."

"I understand," Raewyn said softly, trying to keep her emotions settled.

"You are a good friend, Hawke," Aveline said. "I appreciate all you have done for me. But … but I need time to think. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Raewyn said, feeling her heart sink.

"Well, good night then, Hawke," Aveline said. "I will see you around I guess."

And with that, Aveline walked off into the night, leaving Raewyn very, very alone.

* * *

Raewyn sat at the bar in the Hanged Man, drowning her sorrows with cheap ale. The mood of the tavern was jovial, but Raewyn was so depressed with herself she could not share the mood. It was the night after she and Aveline had stopped the slavers, and she had not seen her friend all day. In fact, she was positive the red haired guardswoman was deliberately avoiding her. She felt dejected and lost, and cursed her own stupidity for her choice of times to bare her heart.

"I did warn you," Isabella said from the stool next to her. The Rivaini pirate had been doing her best to console Raewyn all night, but Raewyn was just not in the mood. "I'm sorry it did not work out. You and Aveline would have made a great couple. Though I'm not sure who would wear the dress at your wedding."

Raewyn managed a small smile at that. "Thank you," she said. "I do appreciate it. And despite everything, I want you to know I never considered you a consolation prize."

Isabella smiled in return. "You know, if you're finished moping, I have a warm bed with clean sheets upstairs."

"I appreciate the offer," Raewyn said, placing a friendly hand on Isabella's thigh. "But I think I'm going to have an early night. I will see you tomorrow."

The two bid their farewells and Raewyn left the Hanged Man and began the walk to Hightown. It was a quite night, perfect for self-reflection and thinking of ways to mend bridges. Raewyn knew she had a lot of both to do, but she was honest enough with herself that with her slightly inebriated state, she would not be successful at either tonight. Whistling to herself, she strolled up the path, oblivious to the world around her. Which was why she was completely surprised when the strong hand clamped over her mouth and yanked her into the shadows.

Raewyn tried to struggle as she pressed up against the wall of the ally, squirming beneath the strong grip on her mouth. But when she finally focused on her attacker, she was surprised to see Aveline standing before her. The hand left Raewyn's mouth, but before she could speak, Aveline kissed her. The two women embraced each other tight, kissing again and again.

"I love you too," Aveline finally whispered, a smile playing on her lips.

"Are you sure," Raewyn said, surprised and delighted by Aveline's admission. "I mean, I love you, but I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to…"

"No, I want this," Aveline said with conviction. "I have wanted it for so long, and just could not admit it to myself. But we have to take it slowly. We need to do this right."

"No more confessions when tied up then," Raewyn said with sly grin.

"Let's keep those to a minimum, okay?" Aveline said, and the two women laughed. "I want this, Hawke. I want you."

They kissed again, then parted.

"I should get going," Aveline said. "I have patrols in the morning and my new found fame will not save me from the captain's scorn if I'm late."

"And I am sure I have something mindbogglingly important to do myself," Raewyn replied. "Will I see you tomorrow night then? At my estate?"

"I'd love to," Aveline said, heading out of the ally. "Good night, my sweet Hawke. And you tell Isabella about us, I will kill you!"

Raewyn laughed at that, and watched her beloved disappear into the night. She then continued her own journey home, buoyed by the possibilities of a new dawn. Raewyn grinned to herself. Despite all the troubles that reared their head from time to time, she had to admit life was good. 

And that she was in love.


End file.
